Soft Skills for the Solopreneur
Based on “3 Soft Skills to Learn in 2025 That Will Pay You Forever” by Rachel Wells (Forbes), reframed for solopreneurs.
Core Thesis
As automation and AI advance, the most enduring value won’t come from technical know-how alone, but from human soft skills that machines can’t replicate. In her Forbes article, Rachel Wells spotlights three soft skills whose impact will outlast trends and technologies: emotional intelligence, resilience, and networking.
For solopreneurs, these aren’t “nice-to-haves.” They are the edge that strengthens resilience, differentiates your brand, and deepens trust with clients, collaborators, and communities. I highly suggest reading Wells’ article - it provides great resources for learning and deepening these skills.
The 3 Soft Skills & Why They Matter
1. Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Wells highlights EQ as a foundational ability to read, manage, and respond to emotions (both yours and others’). For solopreneurs, strong EQ helps you:
Navigate difficult client conversations (pricing objections, critical feedback).
Manage stress, burnout, or uncertainty before it derails you.
Build rapport and deeper trust in your relationships and networks.
Recognize and regulate your internal states so you stay creative and consistent. Helps you to stay focused and not be easily derailed.
2. Resilience (& Grit)
The ability to recover, adapt, and persist through setbacks is critical — and Wells frames resilience as a “soft muscle” to train. Resilience shows up in solopreneur life as:
Bouncing back from client loss, project cancellations, or revenue dips.
Staying steady under ambiguity (shifting markets, new algorithms, unexpected costs).
Iterating through failure without getting paralyzed or burnt out.
Maintaining forward momentum even when things don’t go to plan.
3. Networking
Networking, Wells stresses, isn’t about “schmoozing.” It’s about building and maintaining genuine, mutually valuable connections. Be intentional. Not every person is good for your network. For solo business owners, effective networking is critical and means you can:
Source referrals, collaborations, and client leads.
Access resources, mentorship, or partnerships you couldn’t generate alone.
Create a buffer of goodwill and reputation in your niche.
Stay plugged into evolving trends, ideas, and opportunities.
Why These Skills Are “Future-Proof”
As AI automates more task-oriented skills, human capacities — emotional insight, adaptability, relationships — become the key differentiators.
These skills are scalable across contexts: you use them with clients, collaborators, suppliers, peers, and communities.
As a solopreneur, you are the brand. Soft skills aren’t separate from your business — they are part of the product or service you deliver.
They compound over time:
Networking opens doors that help you recover faster.
Resilience helps you power through slow seasons.
EQ strengthens every interaction, leading to client loyalty and referrals.
How to Build These Skills with Practical Exercises for Solopreneurs:
EQ
Do a daily “feeling audit.”
Pause mid-day to note what emotions are present, what triggered them, and how you’re responding.
Use labeling (“I feel X because Y”).
Seek feedback from trusted peers or clients about how your communication affects them.
Resilience
Keep a “setback log.”
After challenges, reflect: what worked, what didn’t, and what you’ll try differently.
Design low-stakes experiments to push your comfort zone (e.g., new offers, new audiences) to build risk tolerance.
Networking
Block 1 hour per week to connect with new people or rekindle old contacts.
Use a “give first” mindset — share resources, ideas, or introductions without expecting an immediate return.
Strengthen “weak ties” in adjacent fields so your network stays diverse.
Be intentional.
[1]: Forbes – “3 Soft Skills to Learn in 2025 That Will Pay You Forever”
About Charissa
Charissa Gant is a Change Strategist with over 30 years of experience driving change for Fortune 500 companies and small businesses. Most recently, a Principal Director at one of the world’s largest consulting firms, she now leads BoldLEAP Collective — a community for courageous solopreneurs. Charissa@boldleapcollective.com